Despite the relatively high number of Web3 developers, a new survey on blockchain development reveals that the sector apparently doesn’t have enough developers. The survey finds that there are so many projects using blockchain that proficient developers almost always have job opportunities.
The survey conducted by Versatus Labs involved more than 1,000 developers and suggests that the industry needs to prioritise training to address the lack of skills in Web3 development. All 1,056 developers surveyed had never worked on Web3 but were questioned about their views on the industry’s current situation.
Their answers provide valuable insights as 75.4% mentioned that the shortage of helpful resources was a big factor in stopping them from working on web3. In addition, 79.8% expressed concerns about the need to update their tech tools, while 77.1% found the difficulty and expense of learning new programming languages to be major obstacles when thinking about creating decentralised apps.
Solving the problem
These responses provided the survey lab with insight into the challenges that need to be tackled to bring new talent into the crypto industry as well. While training more blockchain engineers is an obvious solution to the Web3 developer shortage issue, there are alternative approaches.
According to the report, one of these methods is for protocol designers to utilise virtual machines (VMs) that work with Web2 programming languages, eliminating the necessity for current developers to learn new ones. The current Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) environment primarily uses Solidity, which can be challenging for Web2 developers who are more familiar with languages like Javascript or Rust.
Also, improving support for commonly used programming languages can make it easier for Web2 developers to transition, but this should go hand in hand with the increased availability of training resources. For young students most of all who need the training to enter the blockchain field directly after college and build a career in Web3. Although it will take time for these initiatives to yield results, when combined with an influx of Web2 developers, they will help foster innovation in Web3.
In 2023, the blockchain industry has seen some shrinkage due to a slowdown in investment, but there are still pockets of expansion. Recruitment, especially for specific Web3 roles, is one of these areas, with coding being a prime example where demand continues to surpass supply.
Isa Muhammad is a writer and video game journalist covering many aspects of entertainment media including the film industry. He's steadily writing his way to the sharp end of journalism and enjoys staying informed. If he's not reading, playing video games or catching up on his favourite TV series, then he's probably writing about them.
